Jensen Huang Breaks Down AI: The 5-Layer Cake Explained

NVIDIA Founder & CEO Jensen Huang delivers a powerful message on the global race for artificial intelligence. Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, he simplifies AI as a five-layer cake: Energy, Chips, Infrastructure, Models, and Applications. Huang warns that while the U.S. leads in advanced chips and frontier models, China has twice the energy capacity and dominates open-source AI development. With faster infrastructure build-outs and enormous software talent, China could soon export full AI stacks—turning the U.S. into a buyer rather than a seller. Huang emphasizes urgent activation and reveals a commitment to build $500 billion worth of AI supercomputers under President Trump’s term. A critical insight into the future of technological power and national competitiveness.